President Jokowi Launches National Internship Program

President Jokowi together with Minister of Industry, Minister of Manpower, Chairman of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Vice Governor of West Java pressed the siren marking the National Internship Declaration, in Karawang, West Java, on Friday (23/12) afternoon. (Photo: PR/Rahmat)

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo witnessed the Declaration of National Internship Program organized by the Ministry of Manpower, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and the Indonesian Employers Association (APINDO), at the Karawang International Industrial City, Karawang, West Java, on Friday (23/12) noon.

In his speech, President Jokowi points out that in today’s age of global competition which is increasingly fierce, the skill of our Human Resources should be improved because this is key to winning the competition. Including the skill of Indonesian Workers to get to work directly after graduating from educational institutions.

According to the President, the potential power of our human resources is actually quite large, 60% of the Indonesian population are youth. That number will continue to increase until it reaches 195 million people of productive age by 2040.

However, as presented by the Chairman of Kadin, according to the President, 50% is elementary school (SD) graduates, 20% junior high school (SMP) graduates, and 17% High School/Vocational High School (SMA/SMK) graduates. “What we have to improve is the skill, the quality of our human resources, so that our demographic advantage is not in vain,” the President said.

To that end, President Jokowi reminded the need to focus on preparing qualified human resources, which will enable Indonesia to make the leap of progress, to catch up with other countries.

“The majority of our existing population is prepared to have become development actors, innovation actors. Do not get this demographic bonus turned into a collection of unemployment. We must avoid this as this is very dangerous,” the President said.

President Jokowi highly appreciates the synergy between the Ministry of Manpower, Kadin and APINDO when it comes to the national internship program. However, the President requested that the number is not only 100 or 1000 interns, because our need is to improve skills, the quality of human resources. “We need 2 million participants,” the President said.

The President admits that later on, the the government’s task, the task of the corporate world after this internship program is the provision of job opportunity. “We will also continue to work closely with the Kadin and the whole business associations, so that after this internship, they are absorbed by our business world. Both in the industry, tourism and others,” the President said.

However, the President reminded that during the internship, the interns are not only asked to do the photocopy task. “I tell this, if the interns say, Pak, I was just told to make coffee and do photocopy. So, their internship placement really aims to improve their skills, That is what we expect,” the President said.

2,648 Companies

Earlier, Chairman of Kadin Rosan P. Roeslani said in the report that the National Internship Program is followed by 2,648 companies in West Java. Of five Industrial areas in Karawang, one company receives 100 interns so that a total of 200,000 interns get involved in this internship program.

He said the program will work closely with the existing industrial areas in East Java and North Sumatra.

Meanwhile, Minister of Manpower Hanif Dhakiri said that the Declaration of National Internship Towards Competent Indonesia is followed by 2,648 companies comprising 1,776 manufacturing sector, 219 export-import sector, 200 tourism sector, 12 bankings, and  441 companies from marine and fisheries sector.

Also present at the event were Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Minister of Manpower Hanif Dakhiri, Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartanto, Chairman of Kadin Indonesia Rosan P. Roeslani, Vice Governor of West Java Dedy Mizwar, and leaders of the companies that partake in internship program. (FID/ES) (MUR/YM/Naster).